by Kin Asdi
“You amaze me! You still have the tools?”
Alice laughed and then murmured, “Yeah, somewhere, probably under a thick layer of dust.”
Lunn asked, “Care to have a nice cup of coffee and a bagel? I’ll pay.”
Alice’s mouth watered at the thought of having breakfast at her favourite coffee bar and she agreed, “Love to, but we need to shower first.”
Dripping with sweat Danette woke up with a start. She looked with a panic at the clock registering that she had woken up just on time. She had taken the Dormancan pills, and she barely had heard her extra loud alarm. She knew that she would soon need another way to wake her up. It had taken more than ten minutes before she had realised that the alarm was sounding. She dreaded the thought that she might have to resort to the shock bracelet soon. She hated giving herself electric shocks, but it was the only way of guaranteeing that she would wake up on time.
She peeled her soaking wet clothes off and with a cloudy head she entered the cold shower. It took her a full minute to wake up enough to be able to adjust the water to a more pleasurable temperature. With stiff and painful joints she got dressed in clean clothes and she was pleased she hadn’t forgotten to prepare her coffee machine.
As she entered her kitchenette, she inhaled the pleasing aroma of the coffee and realised that her mouth was watering. She knew she had to ween herself off those damned pills and made herself a promise that she would only need to take them one more time. She was due to present the androids to Mr. Yousima the following day; she needed one more decent sleep. After that, the pressure to perform should not be as great, and she would have more time to train the group to a higher level.
As she was eating her cereal enhanced with extra proteins, she wondered whether Andena would use the travel set she had given her. She had been taken aback at Andena’s response. It was strange to see how the happy expression on her face suddenly changed into an indifferent and measured stare. Danette was almost convinced she could hear the happy emotion in Andena’s voice when she politely thanked her for the pouch. Danette was convinced that Andena had changed, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was. Her development in her training was better and much faster than the performance of the androids. It was clear that Andena had mastered the handling of the stick in a much shorter time.
Danette was flabbergasted by Andena’s strength. The upgrade to her body provided her not only with the boosted strength but had also overcome the paralysis that would have been expected after suffering a broken neck.
If only it had been anyone but Andena!
However, much as she disliked the other woman, she was deeply troubled by what would happen when Andena’s body inevitably rejected the bionic implants. Danette knew the only way forward was to lock those feelings away and focus on the present. She had to be ready for tomorrow’s show, and there was still a lot to do. She wanted to be sure it all looked smooth and impressive.
Armed with a stick, Andena hoped that she would be able to defend herself from whatever was lurking around the corner. She had been running away from the horrible creatures that looked like giant, dirty old ragdolls. She was leaning against a wall trying to get her breath back, and she hoped that the burning pain in her legs would subside. She knew she only had a few moments before they caught up with her again. The sloppy sounds and muffled cries came closer, and she shivered when the she saw the first creature round the corner. The doll’s eyes were embroidered crosses, and their mouths looked like they had been cut into the fabric. The dark brown gooey stuffing with glistening strands, was slowly pouring out. She leapt up and started to run away hoping she could outrun them again. As soon as she turned into the next street she knew she was doomed: it was a dead end. There was no way back!
She cried out in frustration but as soon as she neared the high wall she noticed the carved holes and protruding bricks. She knew it could be her saviour. She wasn’t pleased with having to leave her stick behind but knew that it would be impossible to climb the wall and hold the stick at the same time. As she started to climb remembered what her instructor had said when she had been climbing: keep your body as close as possible to the wall.
She made good progress but didn’t dare to look down to see whether the ragdolls were still following her. As she reached the top of the wall, her arms began to ache, and her fingers were bleeding from the rough edges of the bricks. It took a tremendous effort to heave herself on top of the wall which was just wide enough not to fall off.
She looked down from where she came and saw to her dismay that the dolls were halfway up the wall, making slow but definite progress. She looked at the other side of the wall and shivered when she saw huge waves crashing against it. She knew she had no choice other than to jump into the sea and hope that the current in the water wasn’t too strong. Andena knew that she needed to jump into the surging sea, or face being killed by the dolls! Pumping her lungs full of air, she jumped at the very second the first ragdoll reached the top.
To her surprise, the water wasn’t that cold at all, but she noticed that the current was taking her deeper and deeper. She was hoping that the water flow would go up again and that she would have an opportunity to break free. The current was still too strong, and she was swept past vast rocks as she was pulled deeper. Andena was resigned to the fact that she was going to die; she knew that she couldn’t hold her breath for much longer. She longed to be able to breathe in. Her body was screaming for air, and there was nothing she could do except open her mouth and breathe in the water. She started to convulse and was amazed when her body took over and began breathing for her. Andena was dumbstruck by the fact that she could breathe as effortlessly under the water as she could on dry land.
It took a moment or two for her to realise that she was lying in bed with the covers over her head making her feel as though she was being suffocated. She sat up, and feeling bewildered, looked all around her all the while greedily breathing in the fresh air. She recognised the small room she was in, and she was relieved when a message appeared in front of her eye, “Andena, are you all right?”
She noticed that her T-shirt was soaked with sweat and realised that she had had a nightmare. She took a deep breath knowing that her core must have noticed her elevated state, and she replied quickly, “Yes Z, I’m fine. I just had a nightmare.”
“You’re supposed to sleep, not dream.”
Andena had to laugh but then instantly remembered that it was possible that she was being monitored and managed to stifle it just in time. She answered, “Dreaming is normal when you’re asleep and most of the time dreams aren’t nightmares. They actually can be pleasant.”
“Your heart rate was much higher than normal.”
“Yes, but I’m fine now. Trust me; I feel fine.”
“What were you dreaming about?”
Andena shivered when she recalled her dream and said, “Z, can we talk about it later? I don’t want to think about it at this moment.”
“Okay. What shall we talk about then?”
Andena was still recovering from her nightmare, but she knew that it was a great opportunity to find out more about her core and retorted, “I want to talk about you.”
“What do you want to know Andena?”
“Who gives you orders?”
“What do you mean Andena?”
“Is there a list of people who can access you?”
“Yes there is, do you want to know who is on that list?”
Andena smiled and said, “Yes please.”
“The names are Root, Mr. Yousima, Miss Danette, Joshua and Miss Olga.”
“Who is Root?”
“That is you. Do you want me to rename it to Andena?”
“Can you rename it to Dena?”
“Why?”
“Nobody knows me by that name and therefore, it’s much safer. Can you disable all other names?”
“Yes, I can. Perhaps it is wise to stop the program ‘commander’ as well because it was using the
same list.”
Andena was very impressed with the proactiveness of her AI program, and she replied, “That sounds perfect Z. You can stop that program as well.”
“It is done. I need a new password, can you give me one?”
She knew it would be only for her, and she thought of something simple which she could remember, “How about Z00Z?”
“Your password is stored. If you want to access me via a wireless link you need to use this password and the new name for Root.”
“So, Dena and Z00Z?”
“Correct.”
“Thank you; Z.”
“You’re welcome A.”
Andena smiled. She was intrigued that she might be totally in control of herself again, and she was looking forward to testing it out. She remembered that she also wanted to stop those annoying popups, and she asked, “Can I ask you for something else?”
“Of course, you may.”
“Can you stop the information popups?”
“I can but how should I inform you?”
“I don’t like it when an information popup just appears. Can you change it so that you show it when I ask for it?”
“Okay. How about warnings?”
“I want to see them no matter what.”
A sudden loud bang on her door made her jump, and she cursed when she heard Joshua shouting, “Double Zero wake up! You’ve fifteen minutes to get ready.”
“Your heart rate is up again.”
“Yes, I hate sudden loud noises. They make me jump.”
“Shall I let you be so you can get dressed?”
“There’s no need I can do two things at the same time.”
“Except when you’re sleeping.”
Andena had to shake her head and said, “Smartass.”
“What is that?”
Andena rolled her eyes and asked, “Can’t you look it up?”
Meanwhile, Andena walked to the bathroom, and she had trouble to stifle a giggle when she read, “So, you think I’m a clever person who parades his knowledge offensively.”
As she cunningly smiled to herself in the mirror, she replied, “Yes, that is close to what I think you are.”
Tancred’s body was shivering with cold. He began slapping his arms around his half naked body in a desperate attempt to get warm, but it didn’t help.
He was looking around for his robe, but he couldn’t remember whether he had sold it for food or whether it was just lying somewhere. He had been sweating so profusely that he had taken it off, but he couldn’t recall what had happened to it.
His stomach was growling, and he wanted food but couldn’t find anything to eat. There were boxes which made funny rattling noises, but he was unable to decipher the strange symbols and unusual drawings on them. He sauntered around, and he stopped at the large hut with wheels. He climbed in and saw a strange looking creature sitting on a wooden structure. The hands with the long fingers were resting on the legs.
With trembling fingers he touched the strange coloured skin and jolted back when he noticed it was cold. Tancred looked closer and saw little cracks in the skin of the creature. He noticed that all this time the face of the strange figure was looking down at the floor, and he wondered why the floor was so interesting. He tried to track the gaze of the man and saw nothing in particular. He asked, “Why are you looking down?”
He waited for the creature to answer but it didn’t which Tancred found annoying. He asked again with a louder voice, “What do you see? Why are you looking down?”
He had trouble keeping his anger at bay and started to breathe deeply when the ugly man didn’t even acknowledge his presence. Tancred kicked the creature against its foot and shouted, “Hey! I asked you something!”
He barely waited a few seconds before he snapped and charged at the neck of the strange man with a deep grunting roar. As he was banging the creature’s head against the wall, he screamed, “By Hondas! You have to give me an answer! NOW!”
He hadn’t noticed that the hands had slipped off the legs, and he was shocked that the arms were swinging freely, bouncing against the wooden bench. Tancred was disgusted by the arms.
He was startled when the man suddenly looked up straight into his eyes. He screamed when the creature’s hands grabbed his wrist and with an incredible force pushed Tancred over to the opposite wooden bench in the hut. His head smacked against the wall, and it felt like his spine was crushed by the sheer speed. The sudden pain caused him to moan, and he kept his eyes shut. He was shocked when he heard a female voice saying with a calm but commanding voice, “Stay there and don’t even think about moving a single muscle.”
Meleda was a bit annoyed that it had been more than the five hours Haruz had asked for but, the little black pill she had taken had knocked her out completely. She had fallen asleep on the sofa and was amazed that she now felt properly rested. Normally sleeping on the sofa never left her feeling rested; perhaps it was the new pills that had made her sleep better.
Now she was in Haruz’s office and strapping herself into a control suit to speak with Tancred. Meleda had never used a control suit before but Haruz had convinced her that it wasn’t that difficult. She thought it was interesting as to how old the equipment looked, and it was obvious that the suit she was wearing had been recycled by using pieces from different suits.
She was amazed that the suit used a low-resolution binocular display. She had expected an optical link, and she couldn’t believe that the suits never had one because they didn’t exist when these suits were designed. Meleda realised that she was working with very old - probably museum-worthy - equipment. It made her feel very on edge not knowing whether the suit had enough safety measures to protect her from danger.
Haruz was amused by her concerned look and asked, “Are you ready?”
She had to accept the situation and said with a weary voice, “I guess so. Anything I should know before you hook me up?”
“Hmm, yes, the tactile force feedback system is still a bit dodgy. Be careful if you move something because before you know it you will launch things away with a lot of force.”
She snorted and said glumly, “I wonder if I should have stayed at home.”
Haruz deliberately ignored her remark and said, “Alright, here you go! Link will be up in three, two, one. And you’re connected!”
Meleda was paralysed when she saw Tancred’s red face so very close to her, and she felt her suit shaking profusely. She had not been prepared for such an assault on her senses, and it took her a few moments to manage to grab his wrists. She looked him straight in the eyes and heard him scream. Haruz, who was looking at the extra display, shouted, “Push him away!”
She knew that the feedback system was not working, and she tried to push Tancred as carefully as possible towards the opposite bench. She shrivelled when she saw Tancred crash into the wall with a sickening thud. She had to take a deep breath before she was able to control her voice enough to order Tancred convincingly, “Stay there and don’t even think of moving a single muscle.”
She was pleased that she was unhurt, but her blood still raced through her veins. She needed to calm down. She muted the microphone and said to Haruz, “You’re right. It isn’t that difficult, especially if a lunatic is bashing you against the wall.”
Meleda heard him trying to stifle a chuckle but in the end, he couldn’t stop himself from laughing. She sighed and scolded annoyed, “Haruz! Keep quiet! He is moving again.”
Her display showed that Tancred had opened his eyes, and he pleaded, “Master, please don’t hurt me!”
She opened the channel again and said, “As long you’re going to behave by staying where you are now, you will be fine.”
“Yes, Master.”
She ignored his confusion, which was probably caused by the withdrawal symptoms, and asked him, “Are you happy that you are going to see your people again?”
Meleda was taken aback when Tancred fell on his knees and started whimpering, “Oh, by Hondas, I’m
so happy! I miss them so dearly.”
She hadn’t expected this at all but she wanted to know what his kind had planned, and she asked with a gentle tone, “Do you know what they are going to do once they arrive?”
He gasped loudly and with a jerky movement, he looked up staring at her. Meleda saw his face change into a scared look, and he whispered, “They are coming. They will be angry. They will punish me.”
“Why would they be angry?”
“There’s not enough Joy. No! By Hondas! They will kill me.”
“How many are coming, Tancred?” She asked.
He was swinging his torso up and down and repeated, “They will kill me.”
She knew that he had started to lose his coherence, and she snapped, trying to get his attention, “Tancred! How many will come?”
Tancred’s voice was reduced to a whisper as he repeated the same sentence, “They will kill me.”
She wanted to slap him in the face but knowing what she had already done to him she decided to leave it for now. Meleda muted the microphone and sighed, “Well, we might as well stop, this is not going according to plan.”
As Haruz was busy disconnecting the link to the suit, he said in a defeated tone, “I have asked the same questions, and he refused to give an answer.”
She was disappointed, but decided to try again with Tancred in a few days’ time; she could only hope that the withdrawal symptoms would have faded by then. Feeling rattled, she stepped out of the suit and grumbled to her brother, “I’m done here. I want to go home.”
She noticed his concerned look, and she confessed, “I had a terrible night. I couldn’t get to sleep.”
Meleda knew that she had to be careful not to use that excuse too often. He took her hand and said softly, “I’ll take you home.”
Andena was sitting on her bed waiting for Miss Danette to arrive. She was pleased that her core, Z, had taken her smartass joke lightly. It had made her smile and had said, “I see.”
She was surprised when Z said, “Zero One asked if you’re fully charged.”
