by M. R. Forbes
"Daniel," Katherine said.
"Here," he replied, holding out the two cards. "They'll get you up to level three security."
"We needed level five," Katherine said.
"I know. I'm sorry. I couldn't get it. They changed the access codes a couple of hours ago."
"He knows Trevor is free," Origin said.
"Thank you, Daniel," Katherine said.
"Yeah. No problem. Tell Trevor I love him, and to call me when all of this blows over."
"I will."
The car had circled the lot and come back around. It stopped right next to them.
"Look at the camera. Just for a second," Origin said.
"Why?"
"Just in case."
Katherine did as Origin asked. Then they climbed into the car. Trevor didn't look at Daniel, and Daniel didn't acknowledge Trevor. He had taught the tech well.
Then they were moving again, out of the garage and back onto the street.
A police car whipped past them as they exited, headed toward one of Origin's false reports.
"When do we go in?" Katherine asked.
"Tomorrow, during normal work hours," Origin replied. "It will be easier to blend in."
Katherine nodded, and then looked out the window.
With this part over, she had more time to worry about Michael.
43
Katherine still hadn't heard from him by the time morning came. She had tried to ping him at least fifty times until finally Origin had warned her that despite the added security measures they were taking, her constant attempts might give away their position.
She didn't want to think that he was dead.
She also didn't know what else to think. And it was better than the idea that Watson had turned him into a slave.
She felt his absence in the back of her mind, even as they prepared for the mission ahead. They had been friends since they were each five years old, growing up in the houses next door to one another. It was an unlikely friendship. Beside the gender differences, she was athletic and physical, he was overweight and mental. Somehow, it worked, even if things had never turned romantic. He was just too much like a brother to her.
A brother who was always there for her. A brother who always came through.
A brother she didn't want to be without.
"Do you already know how much I hate skirts?" she said to Origin.
They were in the bedroom of their hotel suite, getting dressed. They were wearing identical black miniskirts with shimmering white blouses, high heels, gold earrings, and way too much makeup. Katherine felt like a domesticated cow in the outfit and was gritting her teeth through its wear. They had to fit in, and they couldn't do that without dressing professionally.
"Yes, I am aware," Origin said. "I am not in favor of this manner of style myself." The Tetron smoothed her own skirt. "We need to get access to a mainframe terminal. I'm not sure level three will be enough. If that is the case, one of us will need to be successful in convincing the security detail to let us in."
"Do you think that will even be possible?"
"Watson has control of some of the soldiers. He cannot control everyone. The security guards will be susceptible to subterfuge." She slid the side of her skirt up, showing a lot of thigh and a pair of bright pink panties peeking out of the shadows.
"This can't be happening," Katherine said, looking away. An advanced intelligence that had traveled the universe and invented a time machine, and it was practicing seduction?
"We must get in and discover what Watson is planning," Origin said, straightening the dress again. "I will do whatever I must do to achieve that goal. I know you understand what is at stake."
"I do," Katherine said. She picked up the small stiletto knife Trevor had provided and tucked it into her bra strap. She would have preferred a gun.
"Let me see," Origin said, approaching her and looking her over. They were identical in appearance, down to the bangs that crossed over the left eye. "Good."
They walked out of the bedroom. Trevor smiled when he saw them. "Double your pleasure," he said.
"Shut up," Katherine replied.
"We're going to be late," Origin said. "Let's go."
"Stay here," Origin said to Trevor. "Watson is going to be looking for you to get to us. Remain off the grid."
"I've done this sort of thing before," Trevor said. "I'll be waiting for you." He picked up a pair of AR glasses from a nearby table. "Ping me if you need backup."
"Thank you for your help with this, Trev," Katherine said, stepping up to him and kissing him on the cheek.
"I told you when we split that you always had my support," Trevor replied. "I may not be the most upstanding citizen, but I'm a man of my word."
Katherine joined Origin in the elevator to the ground floor.
"If anything happens to me, you need to remain focused on the mission," Origin said. "It isn't required that I survive for humankind to have a future."
"Understood," Katherine said. That didn't mean she was eager to lose her guide in this mess.
"Good luck, Katherine Asher," Origin said.
"You, too," Katherine replied, giving her counterpart a hug. The Tetron was stiff in her arms, unaccustomed to physical affection. An eternity hadn't helped with that.
Then Katherine turned and headed out to the street alone. She would go in first, using her false badge to gain access to one of Nova Taurus' labs. Origin would follow ten minutes behind, using a similar fake badge. They would each make every effort to reach a terminal that connected to the Nova Taurus mainframe, which Origin insisted would be off-site and likely offshore. From there, they hoped to glean some kind of clue as to what Watson had in store for the Dove, and for humanity in general.
They were also going to try to do all of that without getting caught.
It seemed impossible. It also seemed imperative. Mitchell was active and out there, somewhere, but had yet to reach out to them. Michael was missing. And, Origin had told her that Watson had crashed five trains and killed thousands; possibly to draw them out or in an attempt to kill Mitchell. That Origin didn't seem concerned that the Tetron had succeeded in that part spoke volumes about the Colonel's tenacity. It was another trait that she admired.
It was also terrifying and sad, and it had made her current situation easier to come to terms with. At least she had the opportunity to fight back, and to defend or avenge the innocent people the deranged intelligence was threatening.
"Can you hear me?"
Origin's voice filtered into her head through a tiny device the Tetron had tucked deep into her ear canal. It created a secure wireless connection, and while the range was limited, it would be more than enough for them to communicate inside the Nova Taurus tower.
"Affirmative," Katherine replied silently. "I'm en route."
She reached into a small bag, pulling out the badge Coates had provided. The lab tech had taken a huge risk to support Trevor, just like Trevor was taking a risk supporting her. Then again, the risk that they were walking into a trap couldn't be completely eliminated. There had been no time to check Coates' neck when they picked up the badges. They were acting purely on the hope that he was low enough on the org chart to have avoided Watson's direct attention.
"Please work."
44
Katherine kept her eyes forward, her posture relaxed as she reached the security checkpoint into the guts of the Nova Taurus tower. A pair of guards stood on either side of a scanning arch that would run facial recognition, fingerprints, and a host of other biometric scans, the data points of which had all been provided to Coates the day before.
She had been nervous about surrendering so much information to Trevor to pass on to his companion, certain that Watson would recognize her straight away from the measurements, or that the tech would be unable to access the systems to get them listed as employees. She was no less nervous as she walked up to the scanner, her heart pounding, her legs feeling weak. Dogfights over the Antarctic ic
e had been less stressful.
She held up the badge as she walked through, the way Trevor had instructed. She saw the tight beam of the laser pass over her face, and the cameras positioned within the scanner. A soft tone indicated that she had been registered. The moment of truth.
She kept walking. Nobody stopped her. No alarms went off. Either Coates had come through the way he had promised or Watson wasn't quite ready to deal with her yet. Whichever way, she had to take what she was given.
She continued on, heading straight to a bank of elevators near the rear of the lobby, an area hidden from the view of general visitors who would be meeting with the company's many executives and salespeople. Katherine had been surprised to learn how big Nova Taurus was, how many hands they had, and how many pockets they had those hands in. They were one of the five largest corporations in the world, alongside companies like Frontier PharmaCo and Daisoon Heavy Industries.
And Watson was controlling it. It was a mystery to Origin how the Tetron had gained so much power in so little time, especially considering he was damaged.
She stepped into the elevator, pressing the button to go down into the subterranean laboratories. She would attempt to get deep into the research area, where scientists were still poring over pieces of the XENO-1 in a search for any clues they might have missed regarding its origin or composition, along with continuing studies on how best to advance areas of technology like propulsion and of course, weapons of war.
Origin would head the opposite direction, up into the internal executive suites. That didn't make it any less dangerous. Both areas would be secured and guarded, and Trevor expected a lot of the details would have been changed in his departure. Not as much passive security, but headcount and physical surveillance patterns.
The elevator began to descend.
A hand brushed against her rear.
Katherine ignored it the first time. The second time the hand touched her, she turned around.
"Excuse me," she said, before registering who was standing behind her. It was one of Trevor's teammates. She didn't know which one, but she knew he was a configuration.
"The excuse is all mine," the man replied, giving her a crooked smile. He raised his hands innocently. She saw a pair of guns holstered under his arms.
The elevator reached the bottom and opened. Katherine stepped out, walking fast to stay ahead of the man.
"I'm in," she said, hoping the signal would reach to Origin. "One of Watson's goons groped me on the elevator."
"If he didn't detain you, that is a good sign," Origin replied. "I will arrive soon."
Katherine walked to the end of the hallway. A second security checkpoint was set up there. She had to stop beneath the scanner, waiting for it to approve her before the door beyond it slid open. She moved through, noticing that the configuration was still behind her.
Where was he going?
Did he know who she was?
She hadn't panicked when she was dueling three enemy fighters at one time, and she wasn't going to panic now. She kept walking, reaching a bare corridor with steel doors on either side. They had small viewports in, and she could see an internal airlock to another door, through that to a team inside in full hazard gear, examining different chunks of metal, wires, and what looked like organic material. Twenty years and the crashed ship still held so many secrets.
She couldn't help but smile at the truth of it. So much of what they were studying they had made themselves. They just didn't know it.
After the labs was a rest area, with restrooms and a lunchroom. Beyond that were the offices. Katherine paused at the door to the first empty one she found, glancing back to look for the configuration. He had stopped following her near the entrance and hadn't resurfaced.
"I'm in," Origin said, her voice almost startling Katherine.
"I've reached one of the offices," she replied. "I'm going to tap into the terminal."
"I'll be waiting."
Katherine was no hacker, and Michael was missing. Her mission was to reach the terminal and attach a secondary device to it that would allow Origin to interface with it directly. She entered the office and moved to the chair, opening her bag and finding the fingernail-sized device. She put it down on the desk.
"The transmitter is in place," she said.
"Receiving," Origin replied. "I'm in the elevator going up."
Katherine could feel her pulse in her head, and she noticed the sounds of every breath. Only two had passed when Origin spoke again.
"I was just groped," she said. "It was an unpleasant experience."
"Trevor's team?" Katherine replied.
"I don't know. Katherine, I do not have access. We need to reach a level five enabled terminal."
"Damn," Katherine said, grabbing the transmitter and shoving it back in her bag. "I'll see what I can do."
"As will I. I am departing the elevator now."
Katherine stood and circled the desk.
The configuration was standing in the doorway.
45
"You two wait here and keep an eye out for trouble," Daisy said. "Colonel, come with me."
Mitchell climbed out of the back of Daisy's car, scanning the area as he did. They were in a residential neighborhood outside of Denver, a quiet street lined with tall, narrow, hundred-year-old houses that all looked identical, save for minor differences in paint color and landscaping. It was a spot away from the cameras and the sensors and the drones. An area where Watson would have a more difficult time monitoring them.
Assuming they had reached Daisy without drawing the Tetron's attention. So far, it seemed as if they had.
"Your contact lives here?" Mitchell asked.
Daisy led him across the street toward one of the houses. "He's an independent contractor for the UEA. He typically deals in more clandestine software - he's actually done some work on the repulsor calibration for the Dove's initial launch sequence. Whenever I have something that needs decrypting, he's my first stop."
"Can we trust him?"
"Absolutely. In fact, there isn't anyone I trust more."
They reached the door to the home. A light when on above them, and Mitchell could see the tiny lense of a camera in the corner.
Daisy turned toward it and waved.
"You're supposed to call first," a voice said through a hidden speaker.
"I didn't have time," Daisy replied. "And we have reason to believe communications may be compromised. We need some help decrypting a data card."
"We?" A pause. "You look familiar. What's your name?"
"Mi-"
"Wait. I know you." The voice shivered. Out of excitement, or fear? "She's never going to believe this. I don't even believe this. Hang on. Don't move."
Mitchell looked at Daisy, who looked back at him and shrugged. "He's always been a little strange."
He heard the heavy footsteps behind the door well before it opened. A large face looked past him at the street and then ducked back into the house.
"Come in. Did anyone follow you?"
"I don't think so," Daisy said.
"You're him, aren't you?" the man said. He was relatively young and overweight, with a mop of brown hair and an anxious look.
"I'm who?" Mitchell said.
"The guy Kathy's looking for. Mitchell."
Mitchell froze, staring at the man. Who was this?
"Michael, what are you talking about?" Daisy said.
"You know Major Katherine Asher?" Mitchell said.
"Uh, yeah. She's my best friend. We've known each other since we were kids."
Mitchell couldn't believe it. "I need to talk to her."
"Not so fast," Michael said. "Someone's been trying to kill her. How do I know you aren't with them."
"You know who I am. She mentioned me to you?"
"She told me she's been hearing a voice telling her to find you. I saw the streams, and we figured out that you're the John Doe from St. Louis. I didn't expect you to wind up here."
"Does she know what this is about? Does she know about Watson?"
"I don't know Watson. I know the AIT. They tried to kill her again earlier tonight. A police officer died. She asked me to hack into the D.C.P.D's servers and wipe the surveillance footage."
"Did you delete it already?"
Michael looked at the floor. "Five minutes ago."
"Where is she now?"
"Somewhere in D.C., I told you."
"She's in a lot of danger, and not from me. I'm trying to protect her. I need to talk to her."
"Who are you? What is this about?" He looked at Daisy. "You said you have something that needs to be decrypted?"
"Let me see your neck," Mitchell said.
"What?"
"Your neck. Let me see it."
Michael's face was turning red. He looked uncomfortable. "Can we just slow down for one second? Is Kathy okay?"
"She won't be if we don't help her," Mitchell said. "Turn around."
"Just hold on a second," Michael replied. He looked to Mitchell like he was having a panic attack.
Mitchell moved toward him, grabbing his arm and swinging around his back.
"What are you doing?"
He checked Michael's neck. It was clean.
"Colonel, he's hyperventilating," Daisy said. "Give him some space."
Mitchell let go of him and backed up. Michael stumbled to the wall and propped himself against it, breathing heavily.
This was Katherine's best friend?
"Michael, it's okay," Daisy said.
"I'm sorry, Michael," Mitchell said, keeping his distance. "Take it easy. Try to slow it down. Slow. Steady. Easy. Relax."
Michael looked at him and nodded. He closed his eyes, taking a huge breath in through his nose, holding it, and then letting it out through his mouth.
"It's a long story," Mitchell said. "But I need to find out what's on this data card. I heard you have the equipment and the know-how to read it. If we can get the contents, we can help Major Asher."
Michael nodded again and reached out for the card.
Mitchell handed it to him. Michael took one more long breath and then pushed himself upright again. "Okay. I'm okay. I just get a little overwhelmed, and the last couple of days hasn't helped my anxiety at all." He breathed out again. "My stuff is all downstairs in the basement. Not that many people have a reader for cards like this anymore. You're lucky you found me."
