1 + 2

by Kristie Lynn Higgins

  Katharine's view...

  Seeing the mistrust in Kimberly's face, I know the snide remarks are her way of keeping herself at arms length. I don't know if she'll ever believe in my sincerity to help her. I glance at her again. Maybe something else is putting her on edge. It could be what the Rogue told her, and if that's it, she has to see me as a freak. No wonder she can't trust me if she thinks I've been deceiving her.

  I examine our time together so far, and I know one thing, our partnership's going nowhere.

  I finally answer her, "No, I don't have super vision. All I see is the soldier."

  "There's nothing else to see," Kimberly says as she hands me the binoculars.

  I peer through them and look to the S.C.M., the guardhouse, and the loading dock behind the small building. He wears a dark green uniform, and his shoulder patch has the Sphinx Corporation Emblem with the Council's Crest. On the top part of the large building is written, Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo. The S.C.M. confirms it. This place belongs to the Council. We just need to figure out what sort of place it is. I hand the binoculars back.

  "Let's go to work," Kimberly tells me as she places the binoculars in the knapsack, removes a metal object, pulls her gun from a shoulder holster, and screws the silencer on her PPK.

  I ask, "What are you doing?"

  Kimberly's view...

  "For Ares' sake! What does it look like I'm doing?" I snap as I glance at that woman.

  I don't see anything special about her. She's plain looking with hazel eyes and short brown hair, but maybe that in itself is a disguise. I just can't figure out if she's a weapon or one truly messed up person and why one of the departments in the Sphinx Corporation wants her. All I know is if she's important to them, they won't let her go so easily. Maybe I should end our partnership before it causes me anymore grief. I can't let anyone live who knows I'm the Phoenix. Anonymity is life, so I shouldn't wait too long.

  I consider it a few seconds more and decide if I want to investigate the building, I'll need that woman, so I'll allow her to live a little longer until her negative points outweigh her usefulness.

  As if my actions are a normal everyday thing, I point at the guard with my gun and answer her stupid question, "I'm going to take out that S.C.M. and go into that building. I'm going to see why this address was in the file labeled the Gorgons."

  Katharine's view...

  "You can't," I say, keeping my voice down, so not to alert the S.C.M. "Killing's wrong. Sheez... Everybody knows that."

  "For Ares' sake... Of course it's wrong," Kimberly whispers. "But how else are we going to get in? Hades! I can't believe we're arguing about this. Actually..." I see and feel her anger increase as she takes a step towards me and states, "I can't believe I'm letting you stop me from doing what I normally do." She pushes me up against the wall and tells me, "Now listen... I'm a Closer and this is what I do."

  She releases me, starts around the corner, but then I grab her arm, and she turns and glares at me. I feel her stare bore right through me as if it's a laser. I want to shrink back and run away, but I stand my ground.

  I release her wrist and say, "That doesn't make it right. Please, don't kill him." In a gentler tone, I add, "There are other ways."

  Kimberly scoffs my idea as if it's too childish, then she points toward the corner, and demands, "Show me then." She dares me as if it's some sort of game, "Show me how you're going to get us in without him sounding an alarm."

  "Watch me," I reply as I take on her challenge. "Maybe you'll learn something."

  I remove my single strap backpack, open it, and pull out a Gel-Taser; it's a device that resembles a mini TV remote. I also remove a dog collar and then drop the backpack to the ground. I tuck the oblong silver Gel-Taser in my back pocket, walk around the corner, and start whistling.

  "True! Here boy! Come here! Mommy's looking for you. True!" I walk right up to the gate and speak meekly, "Excuse me."

  The S.C.M. sees my approach, so he puts his magazine and coffee down, grabs the XM8, and comes out to the entrance. He keeps the assault rifle at the ready and peers through the chain link fence.

  I act hopeful as I question, "Have you seen a dog?"

  He relaxes his grip on the XM8 as he answers me, "No, I haven't seen one." The S.C.M. eyes me, and must decide I'm not a threat, and slings his assault rifle. He removes his cap and runs his hand through his short hair as he suggests, "Maybe you should try around Joe's Diner. His dumpster attracts hungry animals."

  Back at the corner...

  Kimberly's view...

  I can't believe it. That woman walked right up to him. I let my amazement fade away. It doesn't matter if she's able to talk with the soldier without setting off any alarms. The real question is if she can get us in.

  At the fence...

  Katharine's view...

  I glance at the dog collar, then back to him, and say, "I don't know where the diner is located. Could you give me directions?"

  "Yeah. Hold on." He goes back into the guardhouse and comes back with a Hellenistic Sector, Commercial Vicinage map. The S.C.M. points to the paper. "We're here. Joe's up there. First, go back down the alley you came up, then..."

  I step closer to the fence, scratch my mid-back, and slowly remove the Gel-Taser, and with my thumb, I flip off the safety at the bottom of the weapon that's below a large red button, palm the small device, and move my hand to the fence. I carefully aim, press the red button, fire a green jelly string through the diamond mesh, and hit the man in the neck. The end of the gel substance clumps on impact, it forms an acorn size circle, and adheres to his skin, and the rest of the string dangles still attached to the Gel-Taser. I press the large red button again as the S.C.M. grabs at the string, and 1,500 volts surged through the jelly. He cries out, convulses, and falls to the ground unconscious as I look around, making sure no one saw me, then I hit a blue button that recoils the string. I set the safety, tuck the Gel-Taser back in my pocket, and climb the fence.

  Back at the corner...

  Kimberly's view...

  I can't believe it! She actually did it... I holster my gun, run up as that woman buzzes open the gate, and I hand that woman her bag. I'm still quite amazed. I thought she would get captured. I might have lost out on finding out what's in the building, but the Pandora problem would have been taken cared of.

  "Have you done this before?" I ask as I help her drag the man into the guardhouse.

  "Actually, a couple of times," she replies as she takes his keycard. "He'll be out at least two hours." She places the Gel-Taser in her backpack and the keycard in her back pocket.

  I glance at my watch and say, "Let's get inside and see what we find." A little impressed by that woman's tactics and excited to continue our game, I add, "See how far we can go without killing someone."

  Chapter Four

  The Council

  1:19 P.M...

  Hellenistic Sector, Unknown Vicinage...

  The new Sanctum...

  Within the Chamber...

  "Come on people!" a male supervisor barked. "You're behind on your one o'clock reports. Let's get them in." After a few minutes, he scanned over a H.H.C. and moved to one of the twenty-four analysts. "You're the last one. What's the hold up?"

  "It's these readings from the new project. There was so much to compile that–" the male analyst started, "–I didn't leave enough time to write out the report. I won't make the same mistake again."

  "The Council doesn't tolerate inefficiency or errors."

  "I know, but like I said, I discovered my miscalculation." The analyst sent in his report. "It won't happen again."

  "Make sure it doesn't," the supervisor said as he went back to walking the line of workstations.

  In the center of the Chamber...

  The Council sat at a long rectangular table that was the darkest point of the room, and the laptops and H.H.Cs. were the only things that illumina
ted the immediate area. The Council monitored many black projects and on this day, they monitored one experiment in particular. Mr. Morta a tall man with a stout built sat at the head of the table.

  The door to the Chamber opened, and light from the hallway revealed Ms. Nona was a slim lilliputian and dwarfed Mr. Morta's frame. She sat to his right on a specially designed chair that raised her to the table.

  Ms. Nona turned to her laptop and stated, "We are receiving a report from Cerberus." She typed across the keyboard with her cherry-red nails. "Vulcan Station is now in our hands. Two of our squads of Sphinx Corporate Military have already arrived in Antarctica, and the S.C.Ms. have taken over the base."

  "Good, good," Mr. Morta said. "Vulcan Station was the last Factory facility in operation, and now the acquisition of our sister department's assets is complete." He paused and asked, "What of the two scientists at Vulcan Station?"

  Mr. Decuma was a meager man of average height, and he sounded disappointed when he replied, "Cerberus did not kill them as instructed, but..."

  Mr. Morta demanded, "But what?"

  Mr. Decuma answered, "Well..."

  When he hesitated, Ms. Nona replied, "Dr. John Gelid and Dr. Robert Seeker were injured."

  "How?" Mr. Morta questioned.

  "Cerberus tortured them with a laser cutter," Mr. Decuma answered. "Both men have severe burns. They have been flown back and are recuperating in our medical facility."

  Mr. Morta stated, "It would appear we need to be more precise in our instructions. We did want the cooperation of the scientists." He paused and questioned, "Where is Cerberus now?"

  "It is flying back to Noir." Ms. Nona looked to the clock on the laptop. "Cerberus should arrive within a few hours."

  Mr. Morta thought for a moment and asked, "How is Argus? I would like him to monitor Cerberus."

  "He is still receiving care," Mr. Decuma said. "The injuries he received from the T-3s when they tortured him were not life threatening. He should be ready to return to work in a few days."

  "Did he give up any information about our work or the Sanctum?"

  "He says no," Mr. Decuma answered. "He said that they were rescued before he broke."

  "They?" Mr. Morta was puzzled for a moment. "Ah, yes. The two Factory technicians we acquired. Tech One-eleven and Tech One-twelve. What are their names?"

  "Peters and Maxwell," Mr. Decuma answered. "We never did find out who rescued them. The men are closed mouth about it."

  "Do you believe Argus divulged any information?" Mr. Morta asked.

  "No," Mr. Decuma replied. "We did condition him to withstand pain. The T-3s may have broken him with time, but not in the short span that they had him. They had him three days to be precise."

  Ms. Nona questioned, "What intel do we have on the T-3s?"

  "The operatives we had following them turned up dead." Mr. Decuma scanned another H.H.C. "The last report we received from them stated they had left the Hellenistic Sector of Noir."

  "Create a new team," Mr. Morta commanded. "The T-3s must be found. We cannot have these machines on the loose. One Rogue is enough."

  Mr. Decuma went to work on the task and pulled up personnel files and after several minutes, he started compiling a new team.

  Ms. Nona's laptop beeped, and she opened the incoming message. "I have received a new report; Cerberus has stated its excitement."

  "Over what?" Mr. Morta questioned. Cerberus was experiencing a full range of emotions, and he knew this was good.

  "Over tracking and eliminating the Pandora Project," Ms. Nona answered and then bit her left thumb nail as she continued to study the data.

  Mr. Morta sounded concerned as he inquired, "Does Cerberus understand it is not to terminate Pandora?"

  "Yes," Ms. Nona answered as she moved her hand back to the laptop. "Cerberus anticipates the order will be given to take out Pandora, and it indicates it will study Pandora, so it will be better equipped to eliminate the old project."

  Mr. Decuma questioned Mr. Morta, "Why do you hesitate in giving the termination order?"

  "The Pandora Project's tracking beacon was destroyed, but we still receive bio-data from Pandora." Mr. Morta felt Mr. Decuma was suspicious of his recent actions, and tried to put his mind at ease by explaining it away with a question, "Do you remember what happened two days ago?"

  "Yes," Ms. Nona answered. "We received an influx of data, indicating Pandora reached the Delta Phase of its metamorphosis; it indicated that it had reached the Knowing."

  "The data cannot be correct." Mr. Decuma tapped the table with his finger and added, "There is no possible way the old project reached the Delta Phase without first achieving the Gamma, and its bio-data indicates that phase was never achieved."

  "Do you both agree then? We should suspend Pandora's termination." Mr. Morta hoped to change their minds or at least, postpone a negative decision. "We must analyze the bio-data and once we have the correct information, we can decide whether or not to destroy Pandora." He rested his elbows on the arms of the chair and folded his dark brown hands. "If the readings are corrupt, it is one thing, but if the readings are true..." Mr. Morta hoped to give his favorite project some more time. "We should investigate it further. We did want Pandora to reach all of its phases, and we want it to become the killer we programmed it to be."

  The other two glanced at each other and nodded.

  "I have one condition," Mr. Decuma spoke. "We will terminate Pandora even if the information is inconclusive."

  Mr. Morta nodded reluctantly and said, "It is agreed; Cerberus will observe Pandora. We will hold off termination until we have had enough time to study the data."

  He had bought Pandora a little more time, and he hoped she would find the answers she was seeking.

  Chapter Five

  The Rogue's New Focus

  1:41 P.M...

  Near the Hellenistic Sector's boundary...

  Within the shambles of the Factory...

  The Rogue repaired the artificial epidermis covering its pale face as it stood in one of the many rooms the Factory devoted to bio-mecha research, especially the assassins line of Un-Men. The room was labeled Bio-mecha Research Seventeen or BR17. The area under its left eye had been damaged two days ago in a battle with Pandora. It stared at a table mirror with its red artificial eyes, then the Rogue noted its eyes looked more like red ringed spheres, and it also noted the dingy brown business suit it wore had black oil covering its left jacket's arm. It went back to work and used a soldering iron to melt patches of skin to its damaged face. The skin was made from a manmade substance known as X-74.

  The Rogue's view...

  I pause from my work and set down the solder, thinking Pandora did a number on me. I came close to ending her existence, but she reached the Delta Phase of her metamorphosis and stopped me. Pandora shot me when no one else could.

  I consider the past year and wonder why out of all my programming, I cannot disobey the one to destroy Pandora. I find pleasure in hunting her, but I am an Un-Man, and I appear to be showing feelings and have self awareness. This should not be.

  I also consider in great depth the other thing that happened to me. Even though I tried to kill Pandora, she spared my life. She had the power to take it, yet she fled the room. She showed me mercy as if she knew something that I did not. Is there another purpose to my existence?

  End the Rogue's view...

  The Rogue thought back to its discovery. After their encounter, it had stumbled across the hidden chamber in the back of the Gallery and then later after it had gone through some of the Factory's research on the tablets, it found that archaeologists believe they were chiseled by Ginn L. Irynkissgthie around the year 525 B.D.C. They believed the words spoke of future events.

  The Rogue's view...

  I believe they are about Pandora and that they are some sort of prophecy about her. Right now I do not know their true meaning. One of the tablets is broken, an
d I do not know how much of the text is missing. I do not know if the two tablets go together or if they are part of a separate message. I return to the table. Pandora could be the Rushlight mentioned in the one, and if so, she is some sort of destroyer.

  I consider the warning about the destroyer and my suspicions that she is an organic-mecha. Is she a machine completely composed of lab grown parts or is she a human with unique abilities? My new objective will be to discover the truth, and once I find the truth, I will terminate Pandora.

  End the Rogue's view...

  The Rogue picked up the solder and continued the repair of its face and after some time, the Rogue turned its head side to side, examining its work. It was pleased with its repair and glanced at its left arm. The Rogue needed to fix the shoulder, so it removed its jacket, picked up a pair of needle nose pliers, inserted the head into a bullet hole, and clasped a 9 mm round. It pulled the bullet out, dropped the slug to a tray, and the parting gift from Pandora clanged on the metal. Black ooze ran down from the wound till the Rogue used the solder to stop the oil leak, and then it waved a scanner over the hole and examined the results on a H.H.C. Nothing more was damaged; it only needed to patch the hole, so it placed a piece of X-74 over the wound and soldered it in place. Once done, the Rogue moved its arm up and down. The repair wasn't bad, but its skin coloring was all wrong, and it was too pale for what it needed.

  It removed its Coffin Handled Bowie, placed the knife and sheath on the table, took off all its clothes, and stepped into a specially designed shower. The Rogue set a color knob on the wall to olive and turned it on, and dark dye sprayed from the shower head, darkening its skin and hair. The dye ran for several minutes until the coloring covered its entire body, and it turned off the shower and stepped to a drier in the back. The machine roared as hot air rushed over its body, setting the new color. The Rogue stepped out and studied itself in a full-length mirror, and then it studied its artificial eyes and the blood-red dot-light of its I-Link sensor. If it was to pass as a human, it would have to do something about them, so it removed the eye cover to the sensor input compartment by screwing it off. The Rogue placed the cover on the table, picked up the needle-nose pliers, and carefully removed the orange bulb from the compartment, so that it would no longer blink and betray its true identity. It screwed the eye cover back on, walked over to the table with all the equipment, opened a container filled with lenses, selected brown, and inserted them.