by Kin Asdi
Haruz nodded to Arnost and said, “Sorry for the delay, but I was called away.”
Arnost grumbled, “Yes, yes, yes, the reason I asked you to come is to discuss what happened last night.”
“If you’re referring to the breach of field beta eleven I can tell you who did it.”
Arnost was stunned and asked, “You knew about it? Why didn’t you inform me?”
“I assumed that Mr. Tancred had informed you. After all, it’s his department.”
Arnost had to admit that Haruz was right, and he grumbled, “He did. But tell me who breached the field.”
Haruz cleared his throat and said, “It was a woman who is known by the name Miss Andena. She also had the audacity to return to the fields to retrieve the vines.”
“That is interesting. Did you arrest her?”
“Not yet. She has disappeared. I arrived at her place when the sniffers were waiting for clearance and oxygen masks to access an airlock opposite Miss Andena’s apartment. It seems that the vines were in an old storage room which is out of use. The sniffers have already confirmed that both vines were completely drained in the process. When we were finally able to access the storage room, we only found the vines.”
Arnost looked unfazed at Haruz’s beaten expression, and said, “I assume you have your men on it.”
Haruz sighed and said, “Yes but there’s strong evidence that the rebels took her.”
“You mean kidnapped?”
“No, everything points to her joining Lunn’s rebel group.”
Arnost started to pace around again and said, “Right. Lunn is rapidly becoming a serious pain in the backside. We need to eliminate him.”
Haruz said placidly, “We can’t.”
Arnost yelled, “I don’t care what you need to wipe this man from the face of the Earth, but just do it!”
Haruz sighed and said, “His quarters are based on top of the main energy source for the whole county. If we make an attempt to attack him, he will simply blow up the power exchange which will result in eighty percent of the city’s population perishing.”
Tancred chuckled and said, “He is harmless as long as he thinks he is in control of his little group.”
Arnost moaned, “How on Earth did he manage to get access to that property? I don’t like this!”
Tancred replied slowly, so as to calm Arnost down, “That might be the case, but you know that the situation will change soon. Best not to give him any unnecessary attention.”
Arnost commanded, “Haruz, I want you to keep an eye on this him and attempt to free the woman.”
He nodded and confirmed, “I’m monitoring the group already, but I’ll make it my priority.”
Arnost nodded, and Haruz left the room.
Tancred said, “That woman is far more dangerous than the leader of the rebels.”
“Haruz will find her.”
“I hope so.”
Haruz still didn’t like Tancred. He might look like a human, but the fact remained that he wasn’t, and his casual dismissal of Lunn’s power made him feel uneasy. Haruz knew it was a dangerous game they were about to play. He was convinced that Lunn would start to investigate those fields more thoroughly.
It had been mind-blowing when the small alien ship had landed on the secluded terrace of the high- security complex. He was the first one who made contact with Tancred. He had looked a lot different then but had still been able to make himself understood. The aliens had chosen to come to the Earth to help restore the atmosphere’s lack of oxygen. Arnost was interested and had happily agreed to the aliens’ offer.
Haruz wasn’t convinced that they had been told the complete story, and his gut feeling told him that the exchange wasn’t completely fair: replenish the air with oxygen for the chemical endorphin.
To him, it looked as though a group of addicted aliens who were short of supplies for their ever-growing population was using them. He sensed that there must be a catch, and it troubled him that up until now at least, he hadn’t been able to find one.
The alien ship had made the fields, but to Haruz’s relief had eventually run out of supplies. It was hard finding volunteers who were willing to give up a part of their life in exchange for a cure for their disease or disabilities. He had heard on the grapevine that recruiting willing people was a tough job. The rumours about people disappearing were getting more persistent which made the process of recruitment an almost impossible task.
Haruz hadn’t been surprised when someone had managed to escape the alien plants. He had seen the footage of the amazingly talented Andena cutting through the vines to free herself and had witnessed the moment that one of the plants had shot a flower at her. Normally the small needles would have been enough to disable a human in seconds, but she had apparently been wearing a protective suit.
He had searched for her in the archives and had been impressed by her skills. Everything she did looked so natural: as if she always had done it. He had seen how she managed to get the access code to section Gamma fifty-four, and he really envied the security guard. The Martial Art classes Andena attended were a pleasure to watch and the last time he had seen her sitting cross-legged completely on her own he’d had to fight the urge to walk into the hall.
Now she had disappeared, he had no idea where they had taken her. He had heard rumours that Lunn’s assistant had fallen out with him and that she had started her own little group. He knew that she had close connections with the owner of Bionex, and that troubled him deeply.
The CEO of Bionex was a powerful and ruthless man who didn’t take kindly to setbacks of any kind. Once he had set his mind on something it had to be done no matter what. It was nearly impossible to hack into Bionex’s secure systems, but Haruz believed that he had enough hidden resources available inside Danette’s quarters.
He had programmed his software to scan every face, and it would notify him as soon as Andena showed up. He had been awake for over twenty hours and was feeling incredibly tired. The boost pills only worked for a short time and could easily backfire on you at the most inconvenient times. He was pleased to be able to crash out for a few hours.
Danette grumbled when she was disturbed by the loud banging at the back door of her lab. She had no time to lose because she had to deliver the last android and she couldn’t figure out what the hell was wrong with it. Nothing had gone according to plan today!
She opened the door and was utterly surprised to see Lunn standing there with his arms crossed. When she realised that he had no intention of apologising, her anger quickly hit a critical level. She knew, considering his angry look and her sub-zero mood, it wasn’t going to be a friendly conversation, and she sneered defensively, “Why the hell are you disturbing me?”
Lunn pushed her aside and let himself into the hall of her laboratory as he shouted, “Where is she?”
“Hey! What the fuck is the matter with you, barging in like this?”
He totally ignored her accusing remark and bellowed, “Where. Is. She!”
Danette hadn’t a clue what he was referring to and screamed, “Where is who? Who the fuck are you talking about?”
“Don’t try to play dumb, Danette! You fucking well know who I’m talking about,” he spat.
Danette had never seen him so angry and she knew she had to calm him down before he exploded. She was racking her brains when it finally dawned on her that he was referring to the little slut Andena! Something must have happened to her, and now he was blaming her for it. Her anger suddenly evaporated and she sighed deeply. She said very calmly, “Lunn, why would I know where your little slut is? Are you sure she isn’t just out there somewhere?”
He snorted but had calmed down somewhat when he said, “Well, I would have believed that if it weren’t for the huge amount of drugs in her system. I found the vines that had been completely drained. So, where did you hide her?”
She snorted, “Why on Earth would I hide your fuck bunny? And besides how did you come to the ridiculous conclusion that I was invo
lved?”
“She isn’t my fuck bunny! I know for sure you’ve been up there because you’ve been offline.”
Danette was starting to get impatient and retorted, “Yeah, right! Maybe I had switched the bloody thing off so I could work without being disturbed by a guy who only follows his dick! You know what? I want you to leave right now. I don’t have time for this. Go and do some more research before starting to accuse the wrong people.”
“I’m not wrong because it must have been you!”
“Oh Lunn, stop this stupid shit! I want you to go. NOW!”
“Where is she, Danette? You are the only one who knew she was involved! So stop lying to me and stop this stupid revenge thing right now!”
That was the final straw for Danette.
Her roar came from deep inside her, as she charged at him. Powered by the build-up of utter disgust and pure hatred she managed to push him out into the hall. As she slammed the door shut she screamed, “Fuck you, Lunn!”
She had the feeling he had just shattered the last bit of their brittle relationship and shouted at the top of her lungs, “How dare you to think I would ever do such a thing! Get lost! I’m out! Go fuck yourself with your pathetic little group!”
He banged once more at the door and shouted, “Let me in! I’m not done with you!”
Danette had really had enough of him and said in a normal tone, which sounded quite hoarse, “Fuck off Lunn and don’t you dare to come back. EVER!”
She heard his footsteps dying away as she rested her forehead against the door realising that this might be the end of her relationship with him. She was still trembling severely from the built-up tension. She sighed while she was shaking her head and for once she truly hated that slut of a woman who had driven them apart. Tears welled up, but her anger kept her from crying.
Danette felt tired and wanted to rest, but she needed to get the last android ready for Bionex. Still flustered by what had happened Danette walked back to her office and came to an abrupt halt when she saw the CEO of Bionex leaning against her desk.
She was shocked: how the hell had he got in? The realisation that he had bypassed three different security systems made her feel very unsafe. She instantly understood that she would never have any chance of outrunning this man. She tried to straighten up while she wondered how long he had been in her office. She truly hoped that he hadn’t heard the whole fight between her and Lunn. Focusing on the ugly man in front of her, she said with a slight tremble, “Mr. Yousima, what a lovely surprise! I’ve heard you’re a busy man who doesn’t often come to pay a visit.”
His grin made Danette’s hairs rise on the back of her neck. His high-pitched voice didn’t match his enormous posture. “Ah, my lovely Miss Danette! You’re always so discerning.”
“Thank you, I assume you wanted to know when I will deliver the last android.”
“No, not really.”
“What do you mean Mr. Yousima? You don’t want the last one?”
He started to pace around and said, “How shall I put this. Hmm. Let’s just say that we have gotten a gift from above. I can’t reveal much more information at this moment, but we might have an exciting addition to the nine we already have.”
Danette didn’t like what she was hearing because she had invested a lot of time and effort in the last batch and because she had given up her job with the rebels she needed all the credits she could get. His lips turned a bit when he saw Danette thinking about the situation and continued, “Of course, we will take all ten androids and you will get the final instalment as soon as the last one is delivered.”
Danette smiled and said with a warm voice, “Thank you Mr. Yousima. I’ll be honoured to bring the last one tomorrow afternoon.”
“That is not necessary my dear Miss Danette. You can keep it here, and I would like to offer you a position in our company. Am I right to assume you are available?”
Danette knew that he had at least heard part of her heated argument with Lunn, and with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, she realised that she now needed this job offer to maintain her lab. The question was whether she would like to work at Bionex. Her skill as an android expert was not in demand anymore since the Archon had decided that androids were too dangerous to deploy amongst humans after several fatal accidents. She had to admit reluctantly that there was very little chance of her finding a job that paid a high enough salary. “Yes Mr. Yousima, I guess I’m interested in the position providing the package is right. ”
“I know your credit flow Miss Danette, and I’m willing to double it,” he said with a smirk.
She was quite taken aback: Lunn had paid her generously which was more than enough to maintain the lab and have a good life. She stammered, “That, that is a very generous offer, Mr. Yousima.”
He continued as if he wasn’t interested in what she just had said, “Your job will involve taking care of the ten including training them for specialised acts. Are you still interested?”
She couldn’t believe what he was saying because she constantly wondered about what Bionex planned to do with the androids. It was one of the few things in life that she enjoyed doing, and was more than happy to answer, “I think I can do that Mr. Yousima.”
He chuckled for a short moment but then he cleared his throat. Danette couldn’t believe her eyes at how quickly his expression darkened. He said with an icy voice, “Good. I want to make really clear that from now on you report directly to me. I would consider it an act of disloyalty if you have any further interaction with Mr. Lunn.”
She got goose bumps when he stared at her with a blank expression waiting for an answer. She was shocked about the fact that he had the guts to interfere with her private life, but she knew she couldn’t go back anymore. He had her trapped in his sticky and remorseless web. Danette forced a smile and hated that she couldn’t see his eyes because of his dark sunglasses. She retorted with an insecure voice, “Of course, Mr. Yousima, I understand.”
It took all the strength she could muster to force her lips into a smile when he stuck his hand out to shake hers. His grin was sickening as he said, “Well, good luck with training the androids. I’m sure they are going to be in safe hands.”
“Thank you for having faith in me.”
He chuckled, “It’s not faith Miss Danette, I just know you’re going to perform as expected.”
Danette laughed nervously. She hated it when she was put under pressure. He let her hand go, and as he walked away, he said, “I will see you tomorrow at seven sharp, Miss Danette.”
Pleased that he was leaving, she retorted quickly, “I will be there Mr. Yousima.”
She heard the heavy door slam shut and she knew that he hadn’t even bothered to listen to her last sentence. Danette collapsed onto her knees, retching heavily. She realised with regret that her easy life was rapidly turning into a nightmare.
Lunn was walking aimlessly around, and no longer cared that he was entering the curfew zone. He had been searching for Andena by checking the hospitals even though he knew it was highly unlikely that she would have ended up there. The fact that he had removed her from his access list pissed him off. If she’d still been on the list, then she would have been waiting safely for him in his office. He sighed with frustration, knowing that searching for Andena was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
He needed a drink and decided to go to his favourite pub. It had been a while since he had been to a public place for a drink. As soon as he entered the bar, everyone stopped talking. The music sounded distorted through the old speakers, and all eyes were on him. He shouted wearily, “Just keep on talking, it’s just me.”
There was a short burst of laughter, but most of the people continued their conversations. Lunn sat down on a chair at the bar and demanded, “Double scotch.”
The bartender looked at him and said gruffly, “No credits, no drink.”
Lunn sighed and put his thumb on the scanner knowing that half the world knew now where he was. He d
idn’t care and asked, “Can you double that?”
The bartender smiled when he saw that he could reserve the credits for the order and said, “Two double scotch coming up.”
Lunn pressed on the scanner again when the two glasses with the golden liquid were put in front of him. He took one of the glasses and smelled the strong liquor and downed it in one go. The burning of the strong alcohol in his throat numbed the pain he felt in his chest, and he reached for the other glass.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, and a friendly voice said, “I have the real stuff at my place.”
Lunn slowly turned to the man and recognised the face. He downed the glass and hissed when the alcohol made its way down. As he put the glass down he grumbled, “I must admit, you’re pretty good. I thought I would have time to have a few more before you arrived.”
The voice chuckled and said, “You helped me by ignoring the curfew.”
Lunn signalled the bartender for another round while the man said, “Come on Lunn, we need to talk.”
Aware that the alcohol was starting to affect his brain he asked, “Why should I go with you Haruz?”
“Something is wrong if you are getting plastered and I think I know what it is.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, and I don’t think the rest of the pub needs to know what it is.”
Lunn snorted and said, “I don’t give a fuck about that.”
“I do, and I know you do too. The longer we delay, the more difficult it will be to put it right.”
“Ah, stop the nonsense: you don’t even know what has happened.”
“Do you know where Miss Andena is at the moment?”
Lunn took one of the new glasses of whiskey that the bartender had provided and moved it slowly to his mouth. He gulped the whiskey down in one go again. Coughing and spluttering, he raised his arms in the air, and he said with a placid face, “Nope. I have no idea where she is right now. She has disappeared.”
Haruz grabbed Lunn’s shirt and clenched his teeth when he asked, “What the hell did you do with Miss Andena?”
