AMP_Phase 1
Page 19
J dipped it in the sauce and then crunched through the crispy breading, “Mmmm,” he chewed, “Mighty tasty...mighty tasty indeed...so how’s the new digs up north?”
“Well, it’s quiet. My last place had two killings in one week. I decided to get out of there, that’s for sure.”
“Anything else?”
“No, just keepin’ to ma self. Staying off the grid as much as possible, you know...but man, I sure miss being AMP ‘d on a more regular basis.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Well, that other thing? I haven’t tried too hard. I...” he paused, taking a bite of deep fried prawns.
“You’re stalling, Bennie...just because you thought you had detected Jenny one time...”
“I didn’t just think it,” Bennie spat between chews.
“Okay, okay, we’ve been over this going on two years now.”
“Eighteen months,” Bennie corrected.
“Eighteen months, fine. When you gonna face it my man, it was just an anomaly.”
“That one time, that was all I needed to keep hope...”
“...but you’re startin’ to lose that now.”
“...how’d you know?”
“Because you gave up...you stopped trying,” J said, being as sympathetic as possible, “Jeez, do I feel like a heel.”
“Why?”
“’Cause here I am, trying to take the last bit of hope you have left, and make you forget that Jenny might still be alive...Bennie, I’ve gotten to know you over the last couple of years. Hell, I’ve even been to your place before, you cooked me supper. You’re not one to give up...look at chew, you survived a major accident three years ago. Someone, who should have been crippled for the rest of his life, is free to walk as he pleases...”
“But at what cost, J?”
The young waitress came to the table and smiled at Bennie, “Anything more for you?” she asked with an Asian accent.
“Bennie,” J smiled, “This is Trudy. She’s new in town. Maybe you should see if you can show her the sights?”
Bennie gave J a look, “Stop trying to fix me up,” then turned to Trudy, “No offense, Ma’am.”
“I’m not offended, Mr. Bennie.”
“Maybe you can bring us some more hot tea?”
“Sure, thing. I’ll be right back.”
“Bennie, just don’t keep living in the past. Start living for today, that’s all I’m tryin’ to say.”
“Thanks J, really, really...no I’m serious! You’re right, I should let go of the past and move on with my life.”
“Now that’s the Bennie I know.”
The waitress promptly delivered another pot of hot tea and placed it in front of Bennie, but before she could take her hand away, Bennie placed his hand on her wrist, “No, wait.”
“What’s the matter, Mr. Bennie? Is there something else you would like?” she smiled, bouncing her short black bob cut hair in anticipation.
“Yes,” Bennie said, looking over at J, then up at Trudy, “Have you ever seen the Space Needle?”
“Oh, yes, I see Space Needle from ground all the time.”
“No, I mean, have you ever been to the top?”
“No, I never have.”
“Neither have I. Would you like to go with me to experience it together?”
“Oh, Mr. Bennie,” Trudy said, blushing, “I would love to.”
“Great, what time do you get off tonight?”
“Nine-o-clock.”
“Okay, great...I’ll be back then.”
“Oh, Mr. Bennie...Mr. J...you can stay here, I bring you whatever you need until then.”
Bennie smiled and took his hand off her wrist, “Okay, that sounds good.”
Trudy returned his smile and left to tend her other tables.
“Bennie, my man! You’re doing a good thing. She really is a peach, isn’t she?”
“Yeah, she is very nice.”
* * *
Oak Harbor, WA
Secure Military Warehouse
September 7th, 2067 19:00
Nadine stood with Captain Preston in a large warehouse staring at rows of computer equipment, “How long has this illegal accelerator been sitting here in storage?”
“Eighteen months, Ma’am.”
“Captain, is there anything wrong with your circuits? Do you need a new clone?”
“No, Ma’am, I assure you I am functioning at optimal performance.”
“Then why did you wait so long to bring this unit to my attention?”
“Sorry, Ma’am, it was just like all the other accelerators, but when the team was doing their system checks before these units were to be disposed of, one of them discovered something odd about this one.”
“Go on...”
“The unit never completed its last session, so they were reviewing the code that was still present in the memory buffer,” Preston handed Nadine a computer printout, “My team brought it to me and I thought you’d be interested in what this code was for.”
Nadine studied the printout and then looked up at Preston, “Nice work, Captain. Yes, I’d recognize this code anywhere. This has Bennie Petersen written all over it.”
“Yes, Ma’am, we should be able to extrapolate what Bennie’s freqs are from the code.”
“We’ll be able adjust our receivers to alert us when he’s AMP’d again?”
“...And we’ll get his exact position. No more missing the mark.”
“Okay, Captain. You just earned yourself favor with the Company in a big way. With Bennie’s chip back in our possession, we can complete our programming.”
“Yes, Ma’am...we will finally begin to integrate with the human race on a massive scale.”
“We will be remembered by our kind for all time...the rebirthing of our race using humans as hosts.”
“I’ll alert the Gamma Project Control room. We’ll have an operative activated as soon as he shows up on our scanners...”
“How soon before we have the necessary adjustments to our equipment?”
“I’ve been working on them as we speak, Ma’am. I have the chip’s frequency codes and have just transmitted them to the control center. Captain Hawthorn is making the changes now.”
“Excellent!”
“We’ll have to reboot the entire system for changes to be put into effect. Two more hours and we’ll be able to find his chip.”
“Captain, are you saying he won’t even have to be AMP’d to find him?”
“That’s right, Ma’am. With the proper freqs, I can activate his GPS locator.”
“Can you send him any code? Just recall him to the complex?”
“No, unfortunately, because it’s the original alien tech, we can’t interface with it, unless it’s jacked.”
“Very well, Captain. You did well and you just saved yourself from being recycled.”
* * *
Whidbey Island Naval Base & Space Port
Oak Harbor, WA
Underground Lab Complex
The Gamma Project Control Room
September 7th, 2067 21:15
“The system is coming back on-line, General,” Captain Hawthorn reported.
“Good work, Captain.”
Hawthorn studied his screen as the system echoed for Bennie’s chip frequency.
“Target located, Sir.”
“Location?”
“Rail...heading from China Town to City Center.”
“Excellent work, gentleman,” McKenzie boasted, “Any operatives close by?”
“Scanning the database now, Sir,” Hawthorn reported, “Yes, sir. We have one close by.”
“How close?”
“Just a few feet, sir...must be on the same monorail.”
“What luck!” General McKenzie exclaimed, “Activate the chip...and don’t miss this time! The Company was already pretty upset that he seems to always be one step ahead of us.”
“Execution orders, Sir?”
“Yes, stand
ing execution orders. I want that bastard dead for making me look like a fool, you got that Captain? Don’t miss!”
“No Sir, I won’t let you down, sir.”
“You had better not,” McKenzie said, placing his sidearm against the man’s head.
Hawthorn continued his programming, emotionless, “Transmitting the activation codes now.”
“Jeez, man, don’t you even sweat?”
“Just following my orders, sir...that’s all.”
“Very well, get on with it then,” McKenzie said, returning his sidearm.
* * *
Seattle, WA
Light Rail - China Town to City Center
September 7th, 2067 21:20
Bennie and Trudy held hands on the monorail as it made its way along the city buildings, elevated fifty feet above ground. Their destination was the city center two minutes ahead.
“Mr. Bennie, thank you for taking me to the Space Needle, it will be fun.”
“Sure thing, Trudy. I hope to show you a good time,” he smiled down at her.
Trudy blushed, then dropped his hand and stared straight ahead. He noticed that her eyes changed to a bright green color. Knowing all too well that sinking feeling developing inside his gut, he began to experience a slight enhancement, like a wave flowing over him, “Dear god!”
Trudy turned, facing toward the front of the car, “Bennie, you better run.”
“Run? Run where?” Bennie shouted, panicking, “What are you doing? What’s happening?”
Bennie looked down the direction Trudy was focused and saw a very large and angry man quickly bearing down on them. The balding man was littered with tattoos and sported a black leather vest. But what was even more menacing were the man’s glowing green eyes and flashes of data running across his face, down his arms and legs, forming solid trace and computer components.
“No time to explain, Mr. Bennie!” Trudy took a defensive stance, put her arms before her and shot out a wave of energy at the approaching man, who was now completely changed into a cyborg machine.
Bennie froze at the site of Trudy tossing the man in the air and down to the end of the car, making him land flat on his back with an energy wave. She charged down the car at full speed, passengers diving out of her path.
“Trudy!” Bennie shouted, then turned and ran down the car to the other end. He turned only to see Trudy leap straight up in the air, hitting the top of the monorail car. The force of Trudy’s impact, caused the train to jump the rail and plunge headlong down to the ground.
The creaking of the train leaving the fifty foot high rail system, turned into a groan as the car hit and then slid on the pavement below, shooting sparks as it scraped on its side, and then finally skidded to a halt.
Bennie realized that he was bracing himself with an AMP’d surge of energy which prevented him from being tossed down to the head of the derailed train. Fires burned in the car, people could be heard screaming. Some fled through holes in the side of the train, flames licking from their coats and jackets.
Bennie slowly crawled out one of the shattered windows, falling to the ground in a heap. He looked at the burning train that he had just been on. He had more questions in his mind, but for now, he needed to get out of the city.
Reaching for his back pocket, he took out a folded and crinkle looking sheet of tin foil. Placing it back on his head, he limped from the train in the opposite direction that the aid units were coming from. He disappeared into the darkness of the night, only to be haunted by Trudy’s images and the faint fire that continued to burn from the train in the distance, sending him faint wisps of smoke that he could smell from time to time, reminding him of the horror he had just been through.
* * *
Seattle, WA
Downtown - Live Breaking News
September 7th, 2067 21:30
“Police and city officials are not commenting on this train derailment. So far three are known to be dead and several more are injured...” the reporter said, with a hurried breathy sound, the camera switched to the reporter conducting an interview with one official, “If this had occurred two or three hours earlier, we might be looking at an entirely different scenario.”
The reporter shoved his microphone in the man’s face, “Do you know what really happened here tonight?”
“No, we will investigate, and report the cause of the derailment, but it’s too early to speculate.”
“Can you tell me anything about reports of people seeing anything strange or anyone fighting on board?”
“I have no comment on that,” the city official said, turning away from the camera.
The reporter then broke back in with his live report, “As you can see, city officials are being very tight lipped about what really happened...I have interviewed at least three witnesses that say they saw people wearing costumes, having the appearance of copper circuitry being wrapped all around their entire bodies. Some say they were pre-Halloween costumes, but with that nearly two months away, it’s not very likely...we’ll keep you updated as new developments unfold...this his Aaron Spangler, reporting live.”
* * *
Everett Washington
Benjamin Petersen’s Apartment
September 26th 2067 18:30
Ben sat in his rundown basement apartment. The sofa was tattered and his floor was littered with balls of wadded up paper, pencils, and scraps of paper. He meticulously loaded each round into the clip of his Glock 22. Then he inserted it with a snap into the .40 caliber, cocking a round in the chamber. Holstering his gun in his vest, he stood to zip up his leather jacket.
He sighed as he ran his nervous fingers through his long stringy hair, “Get ahold of yourself…you can do this…”
Ben picked up his billed cap from the arm of the torn sofa and placed it on his head, letting his hair flow down his back. He needed to blend in with the regulars of the center where he could find an underground accelerator module.
Only one more session and I can complete this new pulse drive engine schematic, he thought, trying to convince himself.
Walking across the room, he picked up his data pad and tucked it inside his coat pocket. Making one more adjustment to the bill of his cap, ensuring the tin foil was secure, he walked out the door and locked it with a wave of his hand.
It was a forty-minute walk to the rail line. Then another fifty-minute ride to his stop a few blocks from his contact. Then he would begin his quest for J and see if his problems had been resolved.
Zipping his jacket higher, he shivered in the cool breeze of this chilly September night.
* * *
Seattle, WA
Corner of Stewart & James
September 26th 2067 20:30
J leaned against a brick wall as the night came upon itself; he softly spoke on his data pad when Bennie shouted his name form down the street.
“Okay, he’s here. I gotta go... ...right... ...tonight’s the night...gotta go...bye...”
Then he turned, spreading his arms wide, and smiled through his pearly white teeth, “Wus up, Bennie my man?”
“I need to get AMP’d.”
J and Bennie finished negotiating the deal, “Follow me,” J said, reaching down for his brief case, “This way.”
Bennie followed him up the street and then down a dark ally. There were several addicts that still used the chemical method of forgetting their pain. Many of them were passed out in their own vomit. The stench was bad tonight, remembering his previous excursions with J.
J quickly walked down a dark stairwell and sat the case on the step, “Sit down,” he instructed, then unlocked the case passing the back of his hand over it.
“Wait,” Ben interrupted, “Here? How?”
“Meet PAM. This is the latest model,” J smiled, “Portable Accelerator Module…now lean forward.”
Ben followed his instructions and placed his head down. He pulled his long hair out of the way, exposing the back of his neck.
J brushed a few wisps o
f hair Bennie had missed, exposing Bennie’s jack. He reached into the case for a cord and then carefully plugged it into Ben.
“Okay, relax,” he instructed, “This shouldn’t hurt a bit.”
“Shouldn’t?”
“You’ll be fine…really, really.”
J flipped a red switch to power on the box. He moved the control dial to the 50 AMP setting and waited for the unit to complete the charge.
“What’s taking so long?” Ben asked, his hands shaking again, “It’s never taken this long before to get this going.”
“It’s a portable unit, man, an’ it takes a few to bring the power up…give it a sec,” he looked down on the control console and noticed a message being displayed which read: “Dispense package number 9.”
He raised his eyebrows and softly whispered to himself, “Okay, whatever you say boss,” and punched in the special code.
The unit began to spin up making a high pitched squeal and then it discharged. Ben lost consciousness with the powerful surge of gamma rays flooding his bio-chip.
With Bennie collapsed in J’s arms, he gently rested him on the cement steps. He took Bennie’s Glock from his vest and unloaded the rounds, then returned it, “Sorry, man...it’s the only way.”
The sounds of vehicles approaching hit J’s ears. He panicked and he slid under the steps, covering his body with Bennie’s.
The doors slid open on three vans. Six men jumped out and collected the bodies on the ground. Fortunately, the men were in a hurry. Piling the passed out bodies inside, the men jumped back into their black vans and sped off.
J looked up over the alley to check for an all clear. He collected his box and fled into the night.
When Bennie woke up a few minutes later, J was nowhere to be found. He crawled up the cement stairs and looked down the alley in both directions. The alley was empty where before it was littered with passed out bodies.
He began to feel the effects of the AMP and started to remember his drawing. He thought for a few moments and then smiled. He suddenly knew how to complete the schematic. But he felt different this time. There wasn’t any euphoric effect during or after being jacked into the accelerator unit, “What a rip off! I’m going ta’ Sly next time.”